The Grenada gazette., 1887-10-22
RAISING FRUIT IN POTS.
1 Practice That Should Grow More Popus
lar Among Refined Farmers

T The facility with which fruit may be
raised in abundance In this country,
does not render so necessary the cul.
ture Of fruit in pots and under glass as
inBritian; but the beautiful ornaments
which are thus obtained, and the at
tractive objects for horticultural and
other exhibitions. will prevent the
practice from falling into entire dis.
use. Among the fruits which are
particularly adapted to this mode Of
culture are nectarines and grapes.
The varieties Of grapes selected for
this purpose should be strong bearers,
and those Of smaller growth among
exotics and the skill particularly re-
quired in their management is in
watering, which should be enough for
their growth at all times, but
not so abundant as to cause the
decay Of the small roots around the
sides Of the pot. The soil best adapted
to the purpose is a mixture Of Leaf
mould, old rotted sods and COW ma.
nurc. with small quantity Of bone
dust fine charcoal and air-slacked
lime. These are of course to be well
mixed some weeks before use. Bro
ken pots or shells should be placed at
the bottom for drainage; twelve inches
is suitable size for the pots. Liquid
manure may be used as the grapes swell
in growth, made with pound Of
guano in half barrel of water, or Of
other materials of equal strength, as
COW manure and SCOT. II much
stronger, it should be applied more
sparingly, or with caution. The vine
should bear for only few years, and
then be replaced with a new one.
After the first summer, it should be
taken ont of the pot. the soil shak en-
from the roots. the longest pruned,
and repotted with fresh compost. 1t
is the practice of good cultivators not
to allow it to fruit the following
season, and not till the second
year. The vines will bear more
uniformly if allowed to hang
down, or they may be fastened to
training wires, or wound around
strong stakes. Among the sorts
suitable for pots are Royal Musca-
dine, Black Hamburger and Ali
cante, but not the Muscats. Although
the quantity Of fruit obtained in this
way will be small, the management
will afford interesting employment,
and the orn amental result will repay
the care and labor.
Among the di fYerent fruit trees
which may be raised in pots, the nec-
arine has some some special advant-
ages. The shelter which is given it in
this way will give certain crops every
year, and it will not be liable to the
wintcr-killing Of the fruit-buds which
peach and nectarines suffer when the
trees are growing in open ground.
The same protection shields the young
fruit from the attacks Of the curculio,
to which it is particularly liable, this
insect appearing to attack the nectar
inc in preference to any other fruit
One-year trees from the bud should
be selected, and foot or fifteen-i inch
pots used; the soil need not be very
rich at first, but liquid manure en-
ployed as the trees are afterward in
full growth. The soil should be
rammed down firmly among the roots,
SO tina. the tree may stand firmly, and
loose potting be avoided. As growth
advances, prune and pinch back
enough to give the tree good SYM
metrical shape. and careful attention
must be given to watering; and dur.
ing active growth liquid manure will
be important. The pinching process
10 to be continued through the season,
SO as to give the trees q rather dwarfed
form. and the third year they will
give good crops. They are kept un.
der glass in winter, where the ther.
mometer must never be allowed to
60 below zero. as the fruit buds
are more easily killed than are
trees standing in open ground. Arti.
fetal heat, for the coming crop, may
be first given about the first Of the year, |
and ripe fruit Of early sorts may be had
by the first Of summer. The heat in
cold weather may be sixty or seventy
degrees In the day time, and always
above freezing at night; but as the /
warm weather Of spring advances very
little or no artificial heat will be re.
quircd. as the sun will furnish It. Each
tree. when in full growth, will require
about q gallon Of water In twenty.four
hours When the peaches are within .
about five days Of maturity, II the
trees are placed out Of doors on the
warm side Of the house, the open air
will complete the process Of ripeninQ
and give the fruit flavor which it will
not have II allowed to remain inside.
4 exposed sooner. 1t will cause curl Of
tho Leaf These trees will bear a few
years. and should then be renewed. -
Country Gentleman.